This is an activity for Calf Club. Your goal is to publish a range of poems ready to put in your anthology folder for display at Calf Club.
You will be given a different format each week. You may use the structure of the poem but feel free to add your own twists to this poem.
You choose the topic for your poem.
Ideally it needs to be drafted on your wikipage and shown on Friday ready for editing and publishing. The benefit to typing it on your wiki is that it will make editing and copy pasting on the Friday quicker. You can draft the poem on refill as well.
It needs to include...
Thoughtful ideas and choices of words.
Be specific to your topic.
Mr D needs to be convinced on depth!!!
Some great language choices...use a thesaurus.
That you understand how these poems are set up.
Poetry Focus - Week 1
Personification Poetry
You need to take an object that isn't human or have the ability to feel or show emotions. Write a poem that uses this skill well. Remember to also add in other skills, hyperbole, alliteration, similes, assonance...
The tree, tall and proud!
Thinking about the year ahead.
Trying new colours and styles in Spring,
Sunbathing in all my glory through Summer.
Stripping and undressing in Autumn,
Shivering and naked in Winter.
I smile, I laugh, I cringe and I cry....
So many seasons, so many changes.
Mr D 2008
Poetry Focus - Week 2 Cinquain Poem Line 1: One word- What you are talking about (noun)
Line 2: Two words-Describing it (adjectives)
Line 3: Three words-Describing it (adjectives)
Line 4: Four words-Describing it (adjectives) Line 5: One word-What you are talking about (noun)
Hamster
Cute, Soft
Fat, Noisy, Furry
Small, Colorful, Playful, Hungry
Hamster
(Internet Example)
(Personally...I think this is very average) Poetry Focus - Week 3
Synonym Poetry Choose any word. Write that word in capital letters on the first line. In a thesaurus look up the word and find three to five synonyms for it.
Write the synonyms on the second line.
One the third line, write a descriptive phrase about the word.
The last two lines of the poem should rhyme. Student Examples: LOVE Attachment, adoration, warmth, adore Love is so pure, right down to the core. ---Kimiko Brantley (Grade 10) NOISE Clamor, uproar, hullabaloo. These things can really annoy you. ---Shasta Inman (Grade 9)
Poetry Focus - Week 4 - LIST POETRY
Create a list poem... be creative with your poem. Ideally there should be rhyming but ideas and depth are more important! 8 lines minimum.
List Poems There are so many things that can be written about in lists, that sometimes we cannot think of a thing to write. To help, some ideas for lists are below. Lists can be either rhyming or not. It is up to the writer to decide which style s/he uses. In at least one of the poems you write, make the list humorous or far-fetched. Then, in the final line, give the poem a serious turn. Ideas for List Poems
The Sources of: grayness stiffness softness redness squeaks cold sights
Things That: ring light you find in the grocery hear in your house smell in the school are round/square are red/blue/green/black
Things: to do waiting for the bus to do trying to fall asleep you should have done you should not have done that make you feel tall that make you feel small that you tell your mother
Student Examples:
CAN YOU IMAGINE... A city without violence
This classroom in silence Basketball without a ball
Reno without a mall Ducks wearing lipstick
No barbecue at a picnic Sky without stars
Jail with no bars Thrusdays without New York Undercover
Being born without having a mother Pepsi without caffeine
Every night having the same dream?
---Tierra Jones (Grade 10)
Poetry Focus - Week 5 I Don't Understand...: Begin the poem with "I don't understand..." List three things you do not understand about the world or people. Name the thing you do not understand most of all. End the poem with an example of something you DO understand.
THINK DEEP!!!
Student Example:
I DON'T UNDERSTAND...
I don't understand
why people dislike me
why people can't get along
why dogs are colorblind and cats aren't
But most of all
why people are prejudiced
why people must move away
why people argue over stupid stuff
why there is wars
What I understand most is
why trees grow
why birds chirp
why the suns shines
why the car goes.
---Anita Pepper (Grade 10)
Poetry Focus - Week 6
Just Because...: Just Because... poems ask you to describe yourself in the first line of the poem. The next three lines in each stanza tell what you are NOT. The final line restates the first line and adds a tag directing the reader to do something. Student Examples: Just because I'm scared Don't laught and giggle behind my head Don't kid and play when I'm not there Still ask me because I might play Just because I'm scared It doesn't mean I can't do it It doesn't give you the right to talk about me It doesn't stop me from having fun Just because I'm scared Still tell me everything you did Can't wait until I get big Just because I'm scared -- please try to be my friend ---Brandon Womack Just because I'm an only child I'm not a freak I'm not shy Just because I'm an only child I'm not lonely I'm not selfish I'm not spoiled Just because I'm an only child I know I'm not perfect I can't always be the best friend I'm not a nerd Just because I'm an only child -- let me be me. ---Liz Webster
Poetry Focus - Week 7
Month Metaphors:
You can use a metaphor as a springboard to write a Month Metaphor poem.
DIRECTIONS: 1. Choose a month -- or a season -- and picture how it would arrive if it were a person OR an animal. 2. Add a few words to make the picture seem more complete. Tell how OR where it arrives. Use adverbs. If you wish, use a THESAURUS to find synonyms to replace overworked words. 3. Tell something else the month or season does while it is here. 4. Tell how the month or season leaves. NOTE: be sure you keep the same comparison (metaphor) throughout the poem. Don't change to a different picture.
march stagger skip prance float tiptoe gallop hop limp hobble canter
JULY
trudgesright inwith a bang. It crawls aroundon the hot ground, leaps aroundspreading warmth, then glides rightout of the way. ---Tierra Jones SEPTEMBER creeps in quietly and unnoticed.
It just sits there waiting,
watching for something to happen.
Then, just a quickly as before,
---Elia Miller
Poetry Focus - Week 8
Think of a place that is special. Form an image in your mind of this place. If you need to, cluster this image. Then complete the following statements.
a. I see_ b. I smell_ c. I hear d. I feel e. I taste_ f. I think___
I see the sage-covered desert I smell the freshness of the morning I hear the scream of the hawk I feel the caress of a breeze I taste the dew on the wind I think the new day is born
After you have written out the sentences, remove the pronouns, verbs, and articles as you need to:
sage-covered desert freshness of morning scream of the hawk caress of a breeze dew of the wind new day born
This is an activity for Calf Club. Your goal is to publish a range of poems ready to put in your anthology folder for display at Calf Club.
You will be given a different format each week. You may use the structure of the poem but feel free to add your own twists to this poem.
You choose the topic for your poem.
Ideally it needs to be drafted on your wikipage and shown on Friday ready for editing and publishing. The benefit to typing it on your wiki is that it will make editing and copy pasting on the Friday quicker. You can draft the poem on refill as well.
It needs to include...
Poetry Focus - Week 1
Personification Poetry
You need to take an object that isn't human or have the ability to feel or show emotions. Write a poem that uses this skill well. Remember to also add in other skills, hyperbole, alliteration, similes, assonance...
The tree, tall and proud!
Thinking about the year ahead.
Trying new colours and styles in Spring,
Sunbathing in all my glory through Summer.
Stripping and undressing in Autumn,
Shivering and naked in Winter.
I smile, I laugh, I cringe and I cry....
So many seasons, so many changes.
Mr D 2008
Poetry Focus - Week 2
Cinquain Poem
Line 1: One word- What you are talking about (noun)
Line 2: Two words-Describing it (adjectives)
Line 3: Three words-Describing it (adjectives)
Line 4: Four words-Describing it (adjectives)
Line 5: One word-What you are talking about (noun)
Commitment
Intense, Focused
Ongoing, Purposeful, Unwavering
Steady, Diligent, Persevering, Industrious
Commitment
Mr D 2009
Hamster
Cute, Soft
Fat, Noisy, Furry
Small, Colorful, Playful, Hungry
Hamster
(Internet Example)
(Personally...I think this is very average)
Poetry Focus - Week 3
Synonym Poetry
Choose any word. Write that word in capital letters on the first line. In a thesaurus look up the word and find three to five synonyms for it.
Write the synonyms on the second line.
One the third line, write a descriptive phrase about the word.
The last two lines of the poem should rhyme.
Student Examples:
LOVE
Attachment, adoration, warmth, adore
Love is so pure, right down to the core.
---Kimiko Brantley (Grade 10)
NOISE
Clamor, uproar, hullabaloo.
These things can really annoy you.
---Shasta Inman (Grade 9)
Poetry Focus - Week 4 - LIST POETRY
Create a list poem... be creative with your poem. Ideally there should be rhyming but ideas and depth are more important! 8 lines minimum.
List Poems
There are so many things that can be written about in lists, that sometimes we cannot think of a thing to write. To help, some ideas for lists are below.
Lists can be either rhyming or not. It is up to the writer to decide which style s/he uses. In at least one of the poems you write, make the list humorous or far-fetched. Then, in the final line, give the poem a serious turn.
Ideas for List Poems
grayness
stiffness
softness
redness
squeaks
cold
sights
ring
light
you find in the grocery
hear in your house
smell in the school
are round/square
are red/blue/green/black
to do waiting for the bus
to do trying to fall asleep
you should have done
you should not have done
that make you feel tall
that make you feel small
that you tell your mother
Student Examples:
CAN YOU IMAGINE...
A city without violence
This classroom in silence
Basketball without a ball
Reno without a mall
Ducks wearing lipstick
No barbecue at a picnic
Sky without stars
Jail with no bars
Thrusdays without New York Undercover
Being born without having a mother
Pepsi without caffeine
Every night having the same dream?
---Tierra Jones (Grade 10)
Poetry Focus - Week 5
I Don't Understand...:
Begin the poem with "I don't understand..." List three things you do not understand about the world or people. Name the thing you do not understand most of all. End the poem with an example of something you DO understand.
THINK DEEP!!!
Student Example:
I DON'T UNDERSTAND...
I don't understand
why people dislike me
why people can't get along
why dogs are colorblind and cats aren't
But most of all
why people are prejudiced
why people must move away
why people argue over stupid stuff
why there is wars
What I understand most is
why trees grow
why birds chirp
why the suns shines
why the car goes.
---Anita Pepper (Grade 10)
Poetry Focus - Week 6
Just Because...:
Just Because... poems ask you to describe yourself in the first line of the poem. The next three lines in each stanza tell what you are NOT. The final line restates the first line and adds a tag directing the reader to do something.
Student Examples:
Just because I'm scared
Don't laught and giggle behind my head
Don't kid and play when I'm not there
Still ask me because I might play
Just because I'm scared
It doesn't mean I can't do it
It doesn't give you the right to talk about me
It doesn't stop me from having fun
Just because I'm scared
Still tell me everything you did
Can't wait until I get big
Just because I'm scared -- please try to be my friend
---Brandon Womack
Just because I'm an only child
I'm not a freak
I'm not shy
Just because I'm an only child
I'm not lonely
I'm not selfish
I'm not spoiled
Just because I'm an only child
I know I'm not perfect
I can't always be the best friend
I'm not a nerd
Just because I'm an only child -- let me be me.
---Liz Webster
Poetry Focus - Week 7
Month Metaphors:
You can use a metaphor as a springboard to write a Month Metaphor poem.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Choose a month -- or a season -- and picture how it would arrive if it were a person OR an animal.
2. Add a few words to make the picture seem more complete. Tell how OR where it arrives. Use adverbs. If you wish, use a THESAURUS to find synonyms to replace overworked words.
3. Tell something else the month or season does while it is here.
4. Tell how the month or season leaves.
NOTE: be sure you keep the same comparison (metaphor) throughout the poem. Don't change to a different picture.
stagger
skip
prance
float
tiptoe
gallop
hop
limp
hobble
canter
sneak
zoom
tramp
dance
shuffle
scurry
spring
glide
flutter
lurch
stumble
trot
totter
strut
skate
slide
leap
slink
skulk
crawl
bound
bounce
dart
lope
trudge
plod
advance
drag
slip
saunter
JULY
trudges right in with a bang.
It crawls around on the hot ground,
leaps around spreading warmth,
then glides right out of the way.
---Tierra Jones
SEPTEMBER
creeps in quietly and unnoticed.
It just sits there waiting,
watching for something to happen.
Then, just a quickly as before,
---Elia Miller
Poetry Focus - Week 8
Think of a place that is special. Form an image in your mind of this place. If you need to, cluster this image. Then complete the following statements.
b. I smell_
c. I hear
d. I feel
e. I taste_
f. I think___
I smell the freshness of the morning
I hear the scream of the hawk
I feel the caress of a breeze
I taste the dew on the wind
I think the new day is born
After you have written out the sentences, remove the pronouns, verbs, and articles as you need to:
sage-covered desert
freshness of morning
scream of the hawk
caress of a breeze
dew of the wind
new day born